Molding machine



June 24, 1930.

A. WINKLER ET AL HOLDING IACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1928 awoentozs Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STA ES PATENT oFFiice AARON WINKLER, BRONX, AND CHARLES MILLER, 0}? LONG- ISLAND CITY, NEW

' YORK; SAID WINKLER ASSIGNOR TO SAID MILLER MOLDING MACHINE v Appl icationfiled DeceiriberlS, 1928. Serial ITO/326,181.

This invention relates to the art of shoe manufacturing and deals more specifically with a method of makingshoes and apparatus for carrying out that method.

In the manufacture of shoes, the desirability of causing the shoe to take the exact shape of the lastis well known and understood. To attain this result many operations are performed upon the shoe during the finishing operations, to cause the upper to conform more perfectly to the last.- In the process of making turn shoes, for

defined crease line between the outsole andthe adjacent margin of the upper. This operation also serves to smooth out the upper around the edge contiguous with the bottom of the last, particularly at the portion of the shoe forward of the arch, as Well as to cause the said portion of the upper to take the. shape of the last -more exactly.

II. In addition to the beat iron the heating iron operation is carried out. Briefly, this consists in rubbing down the upper with a heated iron, to facilitate the molding of the shoe structure'to the contour of the last. I

III. Again, the upper is hammered down by the shoemaker, to supplement operations I and II above; a

IV. Finally, the marginal edge of the bottom face of the outsole has a wiping opera tion performed on itby means of a flat iron. This serves to straighten and smooth out that portion of the outsole which lies between the seam line and the marginal edge of the sole. 1

his therefore an object of'this invention to simplify the finishing operations performed upon a shoe in accordance with the prior art.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of treating shoes duringthe finishing operations which causes a piore perfect fit'between-the' shoeand the ast.

It is-a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved machine for carrying out the aforesaid objects;

And it is a further object of this invention, to provide a machine for carrying out the operations I to IV inclusive given above,

in a single-step.

Finally, it is an object of this invention generally to improve and simplify the finishing operations performed upon a shoe to cause the same to be shaped to the last. These objects, briefly, are accomplished by the use of the improved machine of this molds are sults.

The manner in which the present invention is carried outwill 'be'more readily understood from the following description operable to give the desired redrawingin which Fig.1 is a plan View of a device embodying the present invention; r

Fig; 2 is a side elevationofthe device of 1; and" 1 Fig. isla in Figs. 1 and 2.

;- Referringindetail to the drawing, a base 10 is provided with standards ll which are grooved to receive the U-shaped sliding block 12, the arms 12 and 12 being shaped taken in connection with the accompanying to ffit corresponding grooves in the standards 11, whereby the said blockmay be slidably moved from'left to right, viewing Figs. 1 and 2. Journaled in the arms 12 and 12 invention, which is provided with molds shaped to the contour of the last, whichv detail view of the molds shown I of the block 12 is a shaft 13 onwhich is loosely mounted a roller 14. A toggle 15 which consists of the links 16 and 17 is joined to the block 12 at 18. The base 10 is also provided at its right end, viewing the drawing, with a support 20 which may be,

the jaws 21 and 22 to hold the same in opened relation as shown in Fig. 1. A cover plate 26 provided with holes 27 which register with the pivots 23 and 2 1 is joined to the support 20 by any suitable means, such as machine screws 28 for example. Formed integral with the outer extensions of the jaws 21 and 22 are the molds 31 and 32. The molds 31 and 32 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are designed for a right shoe, it being understood that the left shoe molds will be similarly formed. The length of the molds may be varied to embrace any portion of the shoe. It has been found in actual practice that the whole or any part of the forward portion of the shoe is most satisfactorily adapted for treatment in accordance with this process and machine. By forward portion of the shoe is meant that part which lies forwardly of the shank portion. The arms 21 and and the integral molds 31 and 32 may be formed of any suitable metal or composition and preferably are made of brass. The molds 31 and 32 are shaped to conform exactly with the contour of a given last forwardly of the shank portion thereof. The marginal edges 31 and 32 of the molds 31 and 32 respectively are shaped to enter between the outer sole and the adjacent edge of the upper of a lasted shoe. The inner side walls, and in fact the entire surface of the inner faces of the molds, are shaped identically with the last.

It will be understood that one pair of molds 31 and 32 are shaped to the rightlast, and another pair of molds are shaped to the form of the left last of the same size and style. It is within the scope of'thisinvention to provide two machines of the type disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, one for right shoes and the other for left shoes. Alternatively, the same machine may be used for both rights and lefts, in which event the molds 31 and 32 will be detachably joined to the jaws 21 and 22.

- Also, it will be understood that there will be different molds for different styles of lasts; but for a given style of last, however, one set of molds may be used with satisfactory results, the differences due to size variations being taken care of inthe inherent operation of the machine, in which there is considerable latitude in the amount of opening possible between the molds 31 and 32. As a practical matter, it has been found that one set of molds will be applicable to a complete line of sizes for a given style. In some cases, where there may be too great a difference in the contour of lasts of the smallest sizes and widths as compared to the largest sizes and widths, the size range may be split up and two or more pairs of molds provided. v

In order to impart movement to the pivoted jaws 21 and 22 through the toggle 15, there is provided the bell-crank lever 40, pivotally mounted in support 11, which may be joined either to the base member 10 or to a table supporting the same, it merely being necessary that such lever be mounted in fixed relation with respect to the base 10. The upper extension 42 of the lever 10 is provided with a cam face 43 which contacts with the roller 14k. Treadle mechanism indicated generally at '50'is provided to depress the right end of the lever 40 thus causing the cam face 13 to press against the roller 14 which causes the block 12 to slide in the grooves of the standards 11 in a direction to the right,'viewing the drawings, with the result that toggle 15 is straightened, and the jaws 21 and 22 are moved about their respective pivots 23 and 2% and are closed together. A spring 51 is provided for the purpose of raising the treadle and thus causing the jaws to re-open. when the operators foot is taken from the treadle.

Electrical heating units A and B may be mounted in recessesformed in the molds 31 and 32 respectively, each unit being connected to a source of electrical energy. The molds may be heated by these means, to a temperature of the same order of magnitude as is now common in connection with the use of the heating iron referred to above. Either separate switches may be connected to each unit, so that one may be operated independently of the other; or, alternatively, a single switch may be connected to both units for simultaneous control of theheatingthereof. Also, it is within the purview of this invention to provide such switches with thermostatic control for keeping the molds at a predetermined temperature. The machine may be used with or without the heating of the molds. I V

The operation of the machine is as follows: I v

A shoe containing the last is held in the hand of the operator with the tread surface of the outer sole upward, and in this relative position it is fitted into the mold, so that the edgesBl and 32." of the molds 31 and 32 enter into the crease formed between the out sole and the upper. The shoe being thus positioned, the operator depresses the treadle 50 causing the molds 31 and 32 to come together, and the operator presses upon the treadle sufficiently to cause the molds to exert the desired pressure upon the shoe,.to insure proper fit between the upper and the last. l/Vhile the shoe is thus being held in the molds 31 and 32, the outwardly extending edge of the outer sole is hammered down or smoothed down by means of a suitable tool against the flat surfaces 31" and 32 of the molds 31 and 32 respectively, thus preparing the shoe for the edge trimming;

In the manufacture of welt shoes the above; described operation also may be performed after the welting operation and prior to the attachment of the outer sole, or, alternatively, such operation may be carried out after the attachment of the outer sole,

It will thus be seen that there is provided,

in accordance with this invention, a method and apparatus for molding the upper of a shoe to the contour of the last during the finishing operations; and that the above described method and apparatus provides a simpler and more accurate means of insuring proper shaping and fit of the shoe, thus eliminating the several separate hand operations as outlined above.

lVhile there is disclosed herein a'specific embodiment of the invention, many changes may be made by those skilled in'the art without departing from the spirit of this invention, and the same is therefore not to be limited except as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: v

1. A machine of the classdescribed comprising in combination, a stationary base member, a first mold section pi votally mounted upon said member, a second mold section pivotally mounted uponsaid member, said first and said second mold sections being shaped to conform tothe contour of a shoe last forwardly'of the shank portion when said sections are placed together and having edges adapted to enter the crease of the shoe between the upper and the outsole, and means to swing said sections about their respective pivots, whereby to position said sections relatively to each other.

2. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a base member, a first mold section pivotally mounted upon said member, a second mold section pivotally mounted upon said member, said first and said second mold sections being shaped to conform to the exact contour of a shoe last forwardly of the shank portion when said sections are placed together, a toggle member connected to said sections whereby to move the same about their pivots, and means to operate said toggle member.

3. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a stationary base member, mold sections separably mounted on said base, said sections taken together being shaped to conform to the exact contour of a shoe last forwardly of the shank portion and having edges adapted to enter the crease of the shoe: between the upper and the outsole, and means variably to position said separable sections with respect to each other.

4. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a base member, a first mold section pivotally mounted upon said member, a second mold section pivotally mounted upon said member, said first and saidsecond mold sections being shaped to conform to the contour of a shoe last for wardly of the shank portion when said sec tions are placed together andhaving edges adapted to enter the crease of the shoe between the upper and the 'outsole, means to swing said sections about their respective pivots, whereby to position said sections relatively to each other, and means to heat said mold sections. 7 V

5. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a base member, mold sections separably mounted on said base, said sections taken together being shaped to conform to the exact contour of a shoe last forwardly of the shank portion and having edges adapted to enter the crease of the shoe between the upper and the outsole', means variably to position said sepa-v rable sections with respect to each other, and 7 means to heat said mold sections.

6. A. machine of the class described comprising in combination, a base member, a first mold section pivotally mounted upon said member, a second mold section pivotally mounted upon said member, said sections taken together being shaped to conform to the exact contour of a shoe last forwardly of the shank portion, a toggle member connected to said sections whereby to move the same about their pivots, means slidably' mounted on said base member and connected -to said toggle, and means'manually operable same about their pivots, means slidably mounted on said base member and connected to said toggle, and a treadle mechanism operable to impart motion to said last men tioned means.

AARON WINKLER. CHARLESMILLER. 

